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10 mistakes self-trained cyclists make

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10 mistakes self-trained cyclists make

SportsIn Cycling
Apr 07, 2018

If you’ve taken a prolonged hiatus from competitive cycling because and want to reclaim your fitness — things can sometimes get overwhelming.  If you want to be one of those self-trained cyclists and want to start training without a specific schedule, you’ve got to keep things balanced. Sometimes it’s much more efficient to train with a coach or a friend who can push you towards the right direction when you can’t see clearly.

Below are ten mistakes self-trained cyclists typically make during the training process:

 

10 Mistakes of Self-trained Cyclists

#1 Being easy on easy rides, and not striving hard enough on intense rides

This is a classic mistake most self-trained cyclists make. Many riders prefer to stay on rides they’re comfortable with and don’t want to challenge themselves. Riders don’t want to let go of their “grey zone”, but you need to remind yourself not to make this mistake.  A coach will be helpful in this situation.

 

#2 Comparing yourself to what others are doing and not committing to your own routine

It is fine to maintain the social aspect of the sport, and it’s important too. But getting obsessive about how your fellow riders are training isn’t healthy. Remember, core workouts are required to be done alone to ensure that you get the most out of them.

 

#3 Overtraining and not getting enough rest

There is the tendency for people to smash themselves when they feel motivated. A coach’s responsibility is to keep pushing you harder in the training if he/she thinks it’s possible and to stop you from overtraining.

If you want to enhance your fitness and get the most from your training, you need have enough rest. You can only enhance your fitness if you’ve enough rest.

 

#4 Directing your best efforts in training, and not in the race

We all know over-ambitious riders will channel all of their best efforts during the training sessions, but when it comes to the actual race — they’ve nothing.

If you empty your energy and endurance when it doesn’t matter, you’ll be left with nothing when it actually matters — the races. Typically, a cyclist’s peak performance occurs one week prior to the actual competition itself.

 

#5 Turning every training session into an “advanced session”

Consistency is the key to see improvements in your training. Don’t empty your gas tank in one day; leave something for tomorrow and the day after it and so on. Avoid intensive training sessions.

 

#6 Not being committed enough to your goals

Regardless what kind of training regimen you’re in, if you aren’t committed enough and don’t have realistic goals to work on, things will take a backseat. You need to dedicate yourself and understand the basis of a training plan.

 

#7 Avoiding the easy rides

Most self-trained cyclists assume that only the hard rides matter. But, that’s a wrong assumption.  In fact, easy rides are just as essential as the intense rides. You need to do the easy rides as they help in developing your aerobic system and promote the recovery process.

 

#8 Never missing a training session

It’s important that you understand that you need to maintain equilibrium with your training sessions and personal life. It’s totally fine to take a break a day or two from the training if you’ve been smashing at work or been busy at home.

 

#9 Not training with any specific in mind

This is extremely important you understand this when training. You need to be completely aware of the requirements of your target race and train accordingly to it. For instance, it doesn’t make any sense to train on the mountains for a race.

 

#10 Having unrealistic expectations

Are your training session targeted towards winning a race or event? Sometimes creating unrealistic expectations can’t be bad. This is where a coach can guide you. He/she can give you an objective opinion based on the data and performance, and sometimes we aren’t always ready to hear it. 

Sometimes you need to be okay about your limitations and only focus on your core capabilities to get a good result.

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